Daughter, teenager rescue woman from house fire

Rachel Rippetoe

Tuesday

Aug 1, 2017 at 12:01 AM

A Eugene woman was carried out of her burning house by her daughter and her teenage neighbor Monday evening, witnesses said.

Shirley Henson and her daughter, Jean Schaible, were visiting Monday at Henson’s house in the 3900 block of Dove Lane when Schaible said she noticed “a shadow of smoke” near Henson’s window curtains around 6 p.m.

Henson uses a motorized wheel chair, and the fire was near the wheelchair ramp outside her home, blocking her way out.

Nolan Nease, 19, and Tarence Williams, 18, were walking by when they saw smoke.

“I saw black smoke and instantly thought, that’s too much dark smoke; that’s not a normal fire,” Nease said, as Eugene-Springfield firefighters were mopping up after extinguishing the fire.

“I saw (Schaible) running out, and she said, ‘I need help getting my mom out.’ I handed my phone to my friend, ran to the door, helped her down the stairs and just lifted that whole (powered scooter) straight out.”

It was no easy task, but the teen found the strength, Schaible said.

“That chair is 400 pounds itself, and his pure adrenaline got (the chair) down as I held her up.”

Williams called 911, and the Eugene-Springfield Fire and Eugene police arrived around about four minutes later, according to dispatch logs.

Battalion Chief Markus Lay said the manufactured house was irreparably damaged. He estimated the damage at $150,000. Henson has homeowner’s insurance.

Williams said the fire likely started outside the house, but fire marshals had not yet identified the specific cause.

It took fire crews about 10 minutes to put out the fire.

Henson was grateful to her young neighbors, who she had not met before they came to her aid Monday.

“This young man and his friend here, they’re real heroes,” Henson said. “I would be gone. I know I would be gone if they weren’t here.